Boateng: I will storm off during Champions League game if I'm racially abused again

Kevin-Prince Boateng insists he will walk off the pitch during a Champions League match if he is racially abused again.

The AC Milan midfielder led his team-mates from the field on Thursday after black players were subjected to racist abuse during a friendly at fourth division side Pro Patria.

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth forward kicked the ball into the crowd after 26 minutes of the goalless match in Busto Arsizio, 20 miles north-west of Milan, then took off his shirt and marched off the field with the rest of his team.

One 20-year-old fan was charged by police after admitting involvement in the chants, and five more have been identified.

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Fury: Kevin-Prince Boateng (right) gestures to the crowd before walking off after being racially abused

‘I don’t care what game it is - a friendly, Italian league or Champions League match -- I would walk off again,' Boateng told CNN.

‘I’m sad and angry that I’m the one that has to take action. All the people who support me would support me in a big game. Players like Rio Ferdinand and Patrick Vieira have supported me and I just want to say thank you.

‘If it happens again I’m not going to play anymore. The referee said: “Don’t worry” but I said I do worry, it’s not very nice.

‘I was angry and I was sad, but it all came together and I said I don’t want to play anymore. There were so many negative emotions that came up with me.

‘I’m surprised we’re still hearing
these things in 2013. It’s not the first time in my life that I’ve heard
these things, but I’m 25 now and I’ve had enough of this.’

The match was abandoned as Milan decided to
send out a ‘strong signal’ after Boateng and three other black players —
M’Baye Niang, Urby Emanuelson and former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley
Muntari — were subjected to monkey chants from a section of the crowd,
who continued their abuse despite being told to stop by the stadium
announcer.

Final straw: Boateng admitted he had endured enough racist abuse and wanted to make a stand

Meanwhile, AC Milan's president Silvio Berlusconi has claimed his players will always walk off the pitch in future in protest at racist abuse - but PFA chief Gordon Taylor insists it should be the referee who abandons the match.

Berlusconi has congratulated Kevin-Prince Boateng after he who walked off the pitch yesterday during a friendly against Italian fourth-tier side Pro Patria, followed by his team-mates, after several players were racially abused.

Taylor, chief executive of the
Professional Footballers' Association, said the onus should not be on
players to take such drastic action.

He
said: 'The racist abuse should be reported to the match officials by
the player and team captain, and then the crowd warned if the racist
abuse continues the match will be abandoned.

'If
the abuse does continue then the officials should abandon the game. The
warning will also be an opportunity for responsible fans to influence
those who are perpetrating the abuse.'

Boateng,
the Ghana international who previously played for Portsmouth and
Tottenham, has been widely praised for his action in the 26th minute of
Milan's match against fourth-tier side Pro Patria.

Berlusconi has made it clear that Milan are prepared to take similar action in any other game, including European matches.

He said in a statement: 'I called Kevin-Prince Boateng a little while ago and I congratulated him for his reaction against the disgraceful episode of racism that took place in the stadium of Pro Patria in Busto Arsizio.

'I am very happy by Milan's reaction and be assured that in all games where we experience episodes of this kind, Milan will leave the field.'

That could put Milan at loggerheads with FIFA and UEFA, who have previously warned against players taking such action.

FIFA would not comment directly on the Boateng incident but a spokesman said in a competitive match the referee would report the incident and then the disciplinary committee of the competition's organisers would make a decision.

The spokesman said: 'It would be for the referee to report and the disciplinary committee would have to look into it.'

I'd do it again! Boateng insists he would leave the field in a Champions League clash

Italy has long had a problem with racist abuse from fans but Milan's former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, now playing in Switzerland with Sion, has controversially downplayed the incident.

The former Rangers player told the Corriere della Sera: 'I've lived 5km away from Busto Arsizio for years and that area is full of foreigners. There are no racists in Busto.

'What happened yesterday was the fault of a group of imbeciles. How many times have there been boos against white players in the past? It's happened to me to but I didn't give it any importance.

'Boateng certainly felt he was offended but I continue to not see it as racism. It just seems to be the latest episode of collective idiocy from a minority.

'If we are convinced that there is a racism problem then strong decisions need to be made. I, however, continue to believe that Italy is not a racist country.'